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EXHIBIT 99.6
COMPANY CONTACTS: Ernest W. Yankee, Ph.D.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
AVAX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(816) 960-1333
INVESTORS/MEDIA: Olga Fleming/Lisa Bradlow
CPR FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
(201) 641-2408
AVAX TECHNOLOGIES' M-VAX-TM- CANCER VACCINE EXTENDS FIVE-YEAR OVERALL
SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH LYMPH NODE METASTATIC MELANOMA
- Data Gathered from a Larger Patient Population with Ten-Year Follow-Up
Consistent with Previously Reported Data -
- New Findings Suggest Improved Survival Even After Patient Relapse -
- DATA PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
CLINICAL ONCOLOGY -
KANSAS CITY, MO, MAY 23, 2000 -- AVAX TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (NASDAQ: AVXT) today
announced the presentation of data at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American
Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)(May 20-23) in New Orleans on the company's
autologous cell vaccine (AC Vaccine-TM-) M-Vax-TM- for the treatment of
metastatic melanoma. The data From additional studies confirm and expand the
results of a study published in 1997 showing that M-Vax increases the survival
rate of patients with advanced Stage III melanoma, even after disease
recurrence.
The trials, which began in 1989, include 214 patients. All had melanoma with
large (at least 3 cm diameter) regional lymph node metastases. Following removal
of the lymph node masses, patients were treated with M-Vax by one of four
dosage-schedules. The median follow-up time for these patients is 4.4 years, and
the longest is over 10 years. Fifty-four patients have been observed for five
years or more. M-Vax caused no major side effects.
The overall five-year survival rate from all these trials for patients with
spread of melanoma to one nodal area was 50%, versus historical five-year
survival rates of approximately 20-25% for patients treated with surgery alone.
Of note, this group included high-risk patients with clinical features usually
associated with poor prognosis, such as in-transit metastases, tumor masses that
spread to the skin between the primary site and the lymph node. Another
high-risk group treated in this study included patients with spread of melanoma
to two nodal areas. In this group, the five-year survival was 35%, versus an
historical 10% five-year survival rate when patients are treated with lymph node
surgery alone.
A second major finding of these studies was that patients who developed an
immune response against their melanoma following administration of M-Vax had a
far better outcome: 65% survived five years, compared to 32% who did not develop
immunity. The response was measured by performing a delayed-type
hypersensitivity (DTH) skin test using the patients' own melanoma cells. A
positive DTH reaction was also associated with increased overall survival even
in patients who had relapsed: 38% of relapsed patients survived five years if
they had developed anti-melanoma immunity as a result of vaccine treatment.
These findings highlight the immunologic activity of M-Vax, suggesting that the
vaccine is training the patient's immune system to attack their own cancer. In
addition, the ability to produce positive immunologic endpoints is viewed as an
advantage by many researchers, since achieving such endpoints not only validates
the immunologic activity of the therapy, but may also provide an early
indication of whether such therapy will be clinically active.
- over -
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AVAX TECHNOLOGIES' M-VAX-TM- CANCER VACCINE EXTENDS FIVE-YEAR OVERALL SURVIVAL
IN PATIENTS WITH LYMPH NODE METASTATIC MELANOMA
PAGE 2
The studies were conducted by David Berd, M.D., principal investigator, inventor
of the AC Vaccine, and Professor of Medicine, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas
Jefferson University. Dr. Berd commented, "This study has allowed us to
determine the dose and injection schedule of M-Vax that was most effective in
inducing a DTH skin test response. We have utilized that dosage schedule for
AVAX's pivotal trial, in which we are prospectively comparing M-Vax-TM- with the
standard post-surgical treatment for Stage III melanoma, alpha interferon."
Berd added, "It is important to note that even patients who develop recurrent
melanoma following administration of M-Vax may enjoy prolonged survival if they
develop immunity to their cancer:"
Jeffrey M. Jonas, M.D., President and CEO of AVAX Technologies, stated, "These
data, which suggest enhanced survival even after patients experience a relapse,
corroborate our initial published reports and provide strong rationale for the
ongoing multi-center randomized trial comparing M-Vax with alpha interferon. We
believe that the confirmation of our earlier findings, showing the relationship
between the ability of M-Vax to produce a positive DTH skin test and patient
survival, serves to illustrate the robust immunologic activity of the AC
Vaccine-TM- technology. It is our belief that autologous vaccines, which are
made from a patient's own tumor cellS, provide potential therapies for patients
with a wide variety of cancers. Therefore, we are also currently conducting
several studies in patients with other types of tumors."
To date, more than 350 patients have been treated with M-Vax with no
serious adverse events having been found. M-Vax has received orphan drug status
in the U.S., and is expected to become commercially available to patients in
Australia in mid-2000. The AC Vaccine technology is also being evaluated in a
multi-center Phase 2 trial in ovarian cancer (O-Vax-TM-), a Phase 1/2 equivalent
trial in breast cancer with The University of Tokyo, and a Phase 1/2 trial in
acute myelogenous leukemia (L-Vax-TM-) at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
AVAX Technologies, Inc. specializes in the development and commercialization of
novel biotechnologies, immunotherapies and pharmaceuticals for cancer and other
life-threatening diseases using three core technologies: autologous cell (AC)
vaccines, topoisomerase inhibitors and anti-estrogens.
# # #
Except for statements that are historical, the statements in this release are
"forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements involve significant
risks and uncertainties, and in light of the significant uncertainties inherent
in such statements, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as
a representation by AVAX that the objectives and plans of the company will be
achieved. In fact, actual results could differ materially from those
contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Many important factors affect
the company's ability to achieve the stated outcomes and to develop successfully
and commercialize its product candidates, including the ability to obtain and
maintain all necessary patents or licenses, to demonstrate the safety and
efficacy of product candidates at each stage of development, to meet applicable
regulatory standards and receive required regulatory approvals, to meet
obligations and required milestones under its license agreements, to be capable
of producing drug candidates in commercial quantities at reasonable costs, to
compete successfully against other products, to obtain substantial additional
funds, and to market products in a profitable manner, as well as other risks
detailed from time to time in AVAX's public disclosure filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-KSB
for the year ended December 31,1999. AVAX does not undertake any obligation to
release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements or to reflect
the occurrence of unanticipated events.
